


true beauty

by lostin_space



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alex Manes Deserves Nice Things, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: 5 times people in Roswell found Alex beautiful + 1 time he agreed
Comments: 25
Kudos: 80





	true beauty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsidiousIntent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsidiousIntent/gifts).



> Happy birthday! Alex deserves the world and I attempted to bring that to fruition for you! I love you!❤️️

.1.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously what?"

"Seriously, why do you think that is legal? I just have questions and concerns."

Alex snorted a laugh, wiping his face dry. He was drenched in sweat after a run and clearly hadn’t expected Isobel to be there. But she was and she made a show of appreciating his physique. It had him blushing and she took pride in that.

"Concerns for who, exactly?" he asked, leading the way into his house.

"Every single person you pass," Isobel insisted, "You probably caused a whole block of people to swoon, caused a couple guys to question their sexuality."

" _Okay_ ," Alex laughed, shaking his head, "That's not a thing. I'm gross and sweaty."

"Bold of you to assume that's not exactly what we all need to get us going," Isobel said. Alex continued laughing it off, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he clearly liked hearing it. She figured he didn’t get gased up often enough. Which, in itself, was wild.

He deserved it.

.2.

Kyle did not deserve to be swatted while holding a beer and he stood by that.

"And I thought you were bad at keeping the heart eyes under control when you looked at Liz," Jenna scolded. Kyle scoffed in defense.

"What are you talking about, I have no heart eyes happening right now."

"Oh, sorry, it's 'fuck me' eyes and they're targeted at your best friend," Jenna corrected. Kyle rolled his eyes but didn't really look away from where Alex was bent over the pool table. It wasn't his fault. He was straight, not blind.

"They aren't 'fuck me' eyes. I can appreciate without wanting to touch," Kyle said simply. Jenna hummed her disbelief.

“Does he know it’s looking and not touching?”

“Yeah, he does,” Kyle confirmed, taking another sip of his beer as he watched Alex basically pose while leaning against the pool table. Alex always seemed to be _posing,_ always knowing how to make his body look appealing. Kyle occasionally wanted lessons.

“To each their own, I guess,” Jenna laughed. He let her think what she wanted. 

His best friend was a hot piece of ass, _someone_ needed acknowledge that. Who better than him?

.3.

"Since when does Alex write?"

"Since always, what do you mean?"

Max read over the poem that Alex had written for the fiftieth time. He'd left his notebook and, out of curiosity, Max had peered into it. He couldn't help but feel like he was reading some of the most beautiful words he'd ever read.

"I've never read anything like this from a guy who doesn't talk about it," Max said. The poem was about tortured, undying dedication, packed with beautiful metaphors Max could've never come up with and the sheer _love_ that jumped off the page could make even him swoon. "This is beautiful. Like, seriously. I didn't realize he was so talented."

"I can't tell if you're jealous or infatuated," Liz laughed. Max just read over the words again. He didn't really know which one it was either.

“You think I could get him to read this to me?” he asked. Liz gave him a look. “To hear his inflection.”

“Uh-huh,” Liz said, eyeing him, “I guess I could ask.”

Max nodded, re-reading the poem. He really needed to see how Alex looked when he read it.

For the inflection.

.4.

"Thank you."

"No worries."

"No, seriously, thank you."

Liz looked up to Alex in more appreciation than she had in awhile. Honestly, it'd been too long. He'd done so much for them, for her, and she'd never thanked him for it.

"You're a good person and I'm sorry I haven't acknowledged that lately," Liz added. Alex shifted in slight discomfort at the blatant praise, "So thank you."

"You'd do the same for me," Alex responded, shrugging his shoulder. The problem was she wasn't so sure she had proved that to be true.

"Yeah. I will now," she promised, “You sacrificed your family for us. I’ve got a lifetime to repay you for that.” Alex shook his head.

“You are my family,” he corrected, “Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, right?”

Liz huffed a laugh, feeling tears build up in her eyes. How the hell had she gone so long not noticing he felt that way? She saw him as family, but on that level? It was hard to gauge. But she supposed it was a process. 

“I love you, Alex. I’ve got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours.”

She hoped she could keep that promise.

.5.

Michael bit down on his thumb and tried to remember how to breathe.

"Stop staring at me like that," Alex laughed as he looked up from his keyboard. God, his laugh was beautiful. He was beautiful. Whatever Michael had done to lead up to this moment, listening to him play music and sing and laugh all while happy and shirtless and _beautiful_ , was absolutely worth all the bullshit that came before it.

"How am I supposed to stop staring at you?" he asked, ignoring the way Alex avoided eye contact, "You're beautiful."

"Stop," he said, shaking his head while his cheeks slowly began to turn red, "I'm not."

"Sorry, have you looked at yourself? I could fill an entire notebook with an itemized list of all the beautiful things about you," Michael insisted. Then he actually considered it. It sounded like a great past time.

"I'm just me," Alex said.

"Exactly,” Michael insisted, “It’s you. And you’re incredible.”

Alex shook his head again, dismissing it. He wondered how hard it would be to convince him that he was perfect. Probably insanely difficult. It was Alex. If there was anyone in the world who was more stubborn than Michael himself, it was Alex.

He was determined to make him believe it.

.+1.

Alex stared at his shiny new degree.

After working his ass off dismantling his family’s alien killing legacy and finishing up his run in the Air Force _and_ going to school again, he’d finally finished them all up within the span of a few months. He felt like he could relax and actually put work into getting a normal job. One that _he_ wanted.

He’d gotten a degree in music education and, while he knew it was extremely difficult to get a job as a music teacher in schools, he had high hopes and had already had a few interviews lined up. Two of them were pretty far outside of Roswell and in not-so-great areas, but it felt worth it. Making a positive impact on kids who needed it most? That was the bare minimum of what he wanted. He could School of Rock that shit.

Alex had gone a very long time without realizing he never truly felt accomplished. But now? He was stable. He had a house, a dog, a degree, a boyfriend, a job interview. He was going places. What he wanted _mattered._

When he looked up from the degree, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror that was mounted in the bedroom at Michael’s request. He never quite understood the purpose of it other than his boyfriend’s weird interest in himself, but right now he understood it a little more.

He could see himself now for what he was. He didn’t look like his father anymore. He looked carefree and happy and hopeful in all the right ways. It took too long, but this is what he’d wanted to be for so long. This is what he was chasing. He was here.

And for the first time, he saw himself as beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
